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From: af938@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Shawn Ferrier)
Subject: Basic AI Questions
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Date: Sat, 22 Oct 1994 21:22:13 GMT
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Hi there, All.

I'm by no means an AI expert, or even well educated in the field, for that
matter.  However, I need to give a short talk on the plausibility of AI and
its applications.  I need to find information and answers for the following
questions:

-    What defines Artifical Intelligence
-    How does AI differ from "real" intelligence?
-    What is capable of Artificial Intelligence?  A computer?  An
     abacus is a computer!
-    How old is the notion of A.I.?
-    How close are we today to achieving "complete" A.I.?
-    Is A.I. a danger to humans?
-    What are the pro's and con's of creating life?
-    What are the moral implications?
-    Will machines inherit "personalities" from their creators, as
     all children inherit their personalities from their parents?
-    How much different is a computer from a brain?  Both are
     simply a network of electrons flowing from a to b!
-    Under what conditions is A.I. most likely to occur?

So if anyone has any contributions, or information on where I can find
these answers, please let me know!

Thanks in advance for any and all replies!

Shawn Ferrier
--
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Shawn Ferrier                              af938@freenet.carleton.ca
(not speaking for)                           Ottawa, Ontario, Canada        
FastLane Technologies Inc.                        Software Developer
